Method and apparatus for the compressive shrinking of textile fabrics



Oct. 11, 1966 N. w. PANDELL METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR THE COMPRESSIVE SHRINKING OF TEXTILE FABRICS 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Oct. 30, 1964 INVENTOR Mas-role W. FAA/DEAL BY 3 A ORNEY 1966 N. w. PANDELL 3,277,552

I METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR THE COMPRESSIVE SHRINKING 0F TEXTILE FABRICS Filed Oct. 30, 1964 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 I F54 7- BEL T 0R K6795 52 CO/VP/QESS/VE SHRINK/N6- MACH/NE.

INVENTOR NES 7'01? 14/. PA A/DELL TTORNEY United States Patent METHUD AND APPARATUS FUR THE COMPRES- SIVE SHRINKING 0F TEXTILE FABRICS Nestor W. Pandell, Schenectady, N.Y., assignor to Cluett Peabody & Co., Inc., Troy, N.Y., a corporation of New York Filed Get. 30, 1964, Ser. No. 407,714 6 Claims. (Cl. 26-18.6)

My present invention relates to improvements in the compressive shrinking of woven textile fabrics. In general, it is a principal object of my invention so to compressively shrink certain textile fabrics as greatly to improve the surface finish thereof, while substantially increasing the output of existing machines upon which they are processed.

Methods and machines for accomplishing lengthwise compressive shrinking have been extensively developed and are exemplified in US. Patents 1,861,422, 1,861,423, and 1,861,424, and also 2,021,975, and 2,146,694. In the method according to the first three patents mentioned, the cloth web to be treated while in a heated moistened state, is held firmly in contact with a roll of relatively small diameter by means of a traveling felt belt. Thereby the web is shrunk when the felt is caused to undergo a reversal of curvature during which its outer surface contracts and causes lengthwise contraction or shrinkage of the web against which it presses. In later types of this machine, the fabric passes beneath a heated metal block during its travel around the roll above mentioned, with the result that the polishing effect otherwise obtained, is enhanced. During the shrinking step some of the moisture in the web escapes through the pores of the felt, and after the shrinking operation the web is further dried by passing it over one or more heated drums against which it is constrained by a suitable belt.

In Patents 2,021,975 and 2,146,694 above mentioned, essentially the same action takes place, except that the constraining belt against which the shrinkage takes place is made of rubber instead of felt, and is considerably thicker than the felt belt. In this type of machine, unlike the type above described, no moisture is permitted to escape during the shrinking action because of the nonporous character of the rubber belt, and the web of textile material undergoing treatment is ironed on the side away from the drum by the action of the rubber belt, whereby both surfaces become polished in varying measure. Also, the rubber belt machine can be run at considerably greater speed than the felt belt machine for the same type of fabric.

The invention is thus particularly concerned with the compressive shrinking of fabrics of the type whose surface is ridged or exhibits a raised pattern, as for example, denims and twills, as well as satins, sateens, herringbones, etc., or such surface may be a pile surface. The raised pattern surfaces are characterized by the recurring presence of floats of warp yarns over the filling yarns, or vice versa, the term float being applied to a type of weaving in which the warp yarns span two or more filling or weft yarns (or vice versa). The appearance of the fabrics above mentioned is in general much enhanced if the somewhat rough character or bloom of the surface produced is preserved during the compressive shrinking step. However, when these fabrics are passed through the compressive shrinker of the rubber belt type, this roughness tends to be smoothed out, with consequent loss of bloom and impairment of the value of the fabric.

I have now discovered that unexpected and marked advantages are to be had by combining one web or ply of woven textile fabric having a face side of textured design with another by superimposing such plies face-to-face and subjecting the two-ply sheet so formed to compressive 3,277,552 Patented Oct. 11, 1966 "ice shrinking on the rubber belt machine with not only substantially increase in output, but with the full preservation of the original finish often known as bloom or hand of the faces of the superimposed webs. While to a degree the same effect can be obtained by running a single ply of the fabric through the felt belt shrinker with the textured face away from the heated drum, a far greater loss of output would be had by so doing, not only because one ply is treated at a time, but because as above stated, the rubber belt machine is capable of being operated at a much faster rate, e.g., from two to seven times the speed of the 'felt belt machine, depending upon the nature of the fabric processed.

It will be apparent that my invention is also applicable to the compressive shrinking of any fabric as to which one face need not be polished; thus in some instances two plies of fabric may be processed back-to-back, in which case one face of each fabric will receive a high polish, whereas the backs thereof will not, but the output of the machine will be doubled.

More specific objects of my invention are hence to provide a novel method for achieving the improved results above set forth. It is a further object of my invention to provide a novel arrangement of apparatus which will permit the conveying of single plies of textile fabric separately to the compressive shrinker, and during such travel separately to subject them to treatment by moisture and heat to render the fibers plastic, and thereafter combine them in a single sheet for introduction into the shrinker. A still further object is so to contrive such arrangement as to keep the longitudinal axes of the respective plies in substantially the same vertical plane.

Other objects of my invention and advantages thereof will be apparent as the description proceeds, and the novel features will be pointed out in the appended claims.

In carrying out my invention, I first condition the webs as by subjecting them to controlled moisture and heat conditions prior to the shrinking step, as is usual, but in so doing, I preferably pretreat each web or ply separately in known manner. After such conditioning, the webs, if desired, may each be subjected to the action of so-called clip tenters or stretchers, or similar devices, which place the web in tension crosswise. In this manner any tendency to form longitudinal wrinkles is prevented, and the two webs are brought to the same width. Further, the tenter acts to guide the fabric to the shrinker. While highly useful in many instances, the tenter may not be necessary in others, as when the web does not need to be placed under tension widthwise. In such cases, it is merely necessary that the webs enter the shrinker wrinkle-free, it being understood that the webs should be of the same width and superimposed without overlap during the shrinking operation. After this preparation the two webs or plies which have arrived at the stretchers at substantially the same moment, are combined, and the combined web or sheet fed to the compressive shrinker. In this manner the control of the moisture content of the web and the prevention of wrinkling are well assured prior to the shrinking step.

Further, I find it of advantage not only to process the two webs separately prior to shrinking, but also to dry them separately after shrinking. The use of separate dryers after the compressive shrinking step reduces the drying time, and permits individual control of the drying units. Normally, the faces of the webs that are together in the compressive shrinking step are subsequently in contact with the felts of the dryer drums rather than the polished surface of the drums, thereby preserving the non-polished character or bloom of the face of the fabrics. If, on the other hand, as stated, the webs are run through the shrinker back-to-back, the face sides of the webs may then be subjected to the further ironing or polishing action of the dryer drums.

A further advantage is that the two fabric webs which are processed may have somewhat different shrinkage characteristics, but after processing will nevertheless have achieved substantially the same desired stability to resist shrinkage. In this situation, both fabrics will be compressively shrunk to the amount required by the one having the highest potential shrinkage whereby the other fabric will be somewhat over-shrunk.

The advantage of the substantially 100% increase in output per shrinker has already been alluded to.

For a more complete understanding of my invention, reference may now be had to the following detailed description, taken with the annexed drawings, in which FIGURES 1 and 1A when placed end to end at line aa show diagrammatically in side elevation, a layout of apparatus suitable for carrying out the improved method; and

FIGURE 2 is a diagrammatic view in elevation illustrating the principle of compressive shrinking on a rubber belt machine.

Referring now to FIGURE 1, denotes one of the webs, the under web, which is brought to the machine in bulk supply in folded condition in a cart 11, while 12 denotes the upper web which is brought to the machine folded in cart 13. Web 10 is fed over conventional conveying and tensioning rolls and scrimp bars among which may be mentioned roll 15, scrimp bars 16, rolls 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, which bring itwithin the moistener 25 comprising a chamber 25a which affords time for the moisture from nozzle 25b to take full effect by virtue of the vertical runs afforded by conveying and tensioning rolls 22, 23, 24, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35. Thence ply 10 passes out of chamber 25a beneath guide roll 36 to heating drum 37, the purpose of which is to heat the web sufficiently to promote the plastic action of the moisture without undue drying.

Referring now to web 12, the latter is conveyed to heating drum 37' through chamber 25a by means of conveying and tensioning rolls which duplicate those of web 10, and which have the corresponding reference characters additioned by a prime the web 12 being moistened by nozzle 25c and thereafter heated by drum 37. It will be noted that within the chamber 25a the several vertical runs afforded ply 12 are intercalated with the same number of vertical runs afforded ply 10, whereby both plies receive the same amount of travel in said chamber.

Thereafter the two webs are preferably respectively fed to clip tenters 40, 40 where they are placed in crosswise tension and brought to the same width. For a more detailed showing of the clip tenters 40, 40, reference may be had to the Schreiner Patent 2,082,981 of June 8, 1937. By virtue of the arrangement of the apparatus thus far described, and especially by the adjustment, if necessary, of conveying rolls 18, 18', both webs arrive at the compressive shrinker 41 at substantially the same moment after substantially the same amount of travel. They are then superimposed and the 2-ply sheet thus formed is fed into the nip between the traveling rubber belt 42 of shrinker 41 (which has just passed over roll 44 of high radius of curvature) and the heated drum 46. Rubber belt 42 having left the surface of the drum 46 thereupon passes over pulley rolls 48 and 49. The shrunken webs 10 and 12 are now separated and passed over dryer drums 50 and 50 respectively, against which they are constrained by the action of felt bands or belts 52 and 52 respectively. After passing around almost the entire periphery of the drum 50, web 10 is conveyed (by means of the rolls shown) to cart 56 wherein it is caused to be folded by action of member 55. 57 and 57' denote the usual dryer drums for the felt belts 52, 52'. Similarly, web 12, after leaving shrinker 41 passes through the belt dryer 50 disposed above dryer 50, and is conveyed to cart 56' guided by member 55'. It will be noted that by having the longitudinal median axes of moisteners 25, 25' in substantially the same vertical plane, and by having the axes of heating rolls 37, 37' substantially parallel and disposed so as to accommodate the entire width of plies 10, 12, the course of said plies will be such that the longitudinal median axes thereof will each be substantially in the same vertical plane. Thereby said webs will not be subject to distortion and possible wrinkling.

The action of the rubber belt shrinker is more fully shown in FIGURE 2, wherein it will be noted that the outer surface of the belt 42 has been expanded while passing over roll 44. However, when the belt 42 makes the reverse curve around the heated drum 46, such outer surface necessarily contracts, and thereby causes a lengthwise compacting and shrinking of the webs 10 and 12. For a more detailed though concise description of the manner of operation of this device, reference may be had to Patent 2,721,370 at column 7, third complete paragraph. It may be stated however, that the temperatures and pressures used for running the double plies through the machine are in nowise critical.

The property possessed by the textured fabrics compressively shrunk by my improved process of having the face thereof unpolished, may further be utilized in the operation of machine cutting of garment or other pieces from a stack of fabric lengths so treated, which sometimes mounts to 400 or more layers. The entire stack is cut through by a suitable mechanically operated knife. Because of the fact that the unpolished surface of one layer is in contact with the back surface of the succeeding layer, a minimum disturbance of the layers results during the cutting operation.

It will be understood that various changes in the described method will occur to those skilled in the art which will not depart from the spirit of my invention, or the scope of the following claims.

I claim:

1. In the treatment of woven textile fabrics each having a face surface which is raised, as by the presence of recurring floats of either the warp or weft yarns, or by a pile, to effect lengthwise compressive shrinking of said fabrics without subjecting said face surfaces to an ironing or polishing action, the method which comprises simultaneously but separately feeding a pair of webs of said fabric in an endwise direction, conditioning said moving webs by the action of added moisture to render plastic the fibers thereof,

superimposing said webs face-to-face so as to form a continuous two-ply sheet,

subjecting said sheet to compressive lengthwise shrinking by confining the same under pressure between a rigid moving heated smooth surface, and the surface of a moving, relatively thick, resilient, nonporous flexible belt which moves at a somewhat less linear speed than that of said heated smooth surface, and

separating said webs and separately drying same.

2. The method according to claim 1 in which the drying step called for is carried out by passing each web between a heated polished surface and a porous belt urging said web against said polished surface, said webs being disposed so that the faces thereof are in contact with said belts.

3. In the treatment of woven textile fabrics each having a face surface which is raised, as by the presence of recurring floats in either the warp or weft yarns, or by a pile, to effect lengthwise compressive shrinking thereof without subjecting said face surfaces to an ironing or polishing action, the method which comprises simultaneously but separately feeding a pair of webs of said fabric in an endwise direction, conditioning said moving webs by the action of added moisture and heat to render plastic the fibers thereof, progressively tensioning the moving moisture conditioned webs widthwise to a selected common width,

superimposing said webs face-to-face so as to form a continuous two-ply sheet, subjecting said sheet to compressive lengthwise shrinking by confining .the same under pressure between a rigid moving heated smooth surface, and the surface of a moving, relatively thick, resilient, nonporous flexible belt which moves at a somewhat less linear speed than that of said heated smooth surface, and separating said webs and separately drying same. 4. In an apparatus for compressively shrinking a pair of superimposed plies of textile fabric and thereafter separately drying same,

a first moistening device A, means for conveying a first single ply from a bulk supply to said moistening device A,

a heating drum A,

means for conveying said ply from moistening device A to heating drum A,

a second moistening device B,

means for conveying a second single ply from a second bulk supply to moistening device B,

a second heating drum B,

means for conveying said second ply from moistening device B to heating dr-um B,

a compressive longitudinal shrinking device,

means for superimposing said first and second plies from heating drums A and B whereby to form a continuous two-ply sheet,

means for passing said sheet through said shrinking device,

a pair of dryers operatively associated with the compressive longitudinal shrinking device,

means for separating the shrunken plies and passing same respectively to said dryers last mentioned, and means for separately collecting the plies so dried.

5. The apparatus according to claim 4 in which the longitudinal median axis of each member of said pair of moistening devices A, B are in substantially the same vertical plane, and in which the longitudinal median axes of said heating drums A, B are substantially parallel, while supporting and providing a straight course for said plies.

6. The apparatus according to claim 5 in which said moistening devices A, B are contained within a single chamber, and means are provided for a plurality of runs therein of each ply with the runs of said first ply being intercalated with those of the second ply.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,861,424 5/1932 Cluett 26l8.6 2,005,517 6/1935 Cluett 26-18.6 2,037,676 4/1936 Cluett 26--18.6 2,082,981 6/1937 Schreiner 26--18.6 2,450,022 9/1948 Schreiner 26-18.6 2,721,370 10/1955 Cluett et al. 26-18.6 2,885,763 5/1959 Schreiner 2618.6 3,090,666 5/1963 Jones 26-18.5 X

ROBERT R. MACKEY, Primary Examiner. 

1. IN THE TREATMENT OF WOVEN TEXTILE FABRICS EACH HAVING A FACE SURFACE WHICH IS RAISED, AS BY THE PRESENCE OF RECURRING FLOATS OF EITHER THE WARP OR WEFT YARNS, OR BY A PILE, TO EFFECT LENGTHWISE COMPRESSIVE SHRINKING OF SAID FABRICS WITHOUT SUBJECTING SAID FACE SURFACES TO AN IRONING OR POLISHING ACTION, THE METHOD WHICH COMPRISES SIMULTANEOUSLY BUT SEPARATELY FEEDING A PAIR OF WEBS OF SAID FABRIC IN AN ENDWISE DIRECTION, CONDITIONING SAID MOVING WEBS BY THE ACTION OF ADDED MOISTURE TO RENDER PLASTIC THE FIBERS THEREOF, SUPERIMPOSING SAID WEBS FACE-TO-FACE SO AS TO FORM A CONTINUOUS TWO-PLY SHEET, SUBJECTING SAID SHEET TO COMPRESSIVE LENGTHWISE SHRINKING BY CONFINING THE SAME UNDER PRESSURE BETWEEN A RIGID MOVING HEATED SMOOTH SURFACE, AND THE SURFACE OF A MOVING, RELATIVELY THICK, RESILIENT, NONPOROUS FLEXIBLE BELT WHICH MOVES AT A SOMEWHAT LESS LINEAR SPEED THAN THAT OF SAID HEATED SMOOTH SURFACE, AND SEPARATING SAID WEBS AND SEPARATELY DRYING SAME.
 4. IN APPARATUS PLIES OF TEXTILE FABRIC AND THEREAFTER OF SUPERIMPOSED PLIES FABRIC AND THEREAFTER SEPARATELY DRYING SAME, A FIRST MOISTENING DEVICE A, MEANS FOR CONVEYING A FIRST SINGLE PLY FROM A BULK SUPPLY TO SAID MOISTING DEVICE A, A HEATING DRUM A'', 